4.1 Overview of compiling

Compiling LilyPond from source is an involved process, and is only
recommended for developers and packagers. Typical program users
are instead encouraged to obtain the program from a package
manager (on Unix) or by downloading a precompiled binary
configured for a specific operating system. Pre-compiled binaries
are available on the Download page.

Compiling LilyPond from source is necessary if you want to build,
install, or test your own version of the program.

A successful compile can also be used to generate and install the
documentation, incorporating any changes you may have made.
However, a successful compile is not a requirement for generating
the documentation. The documentation can be built using a Git
repository in conjunction with a locally installed copy of the
program. For more information, see Building documentation without compiling.

Attempts to compile LilyPond natively on Windows have been
unsuccessful, though a workaround is available (see
LilyDev).